2025 NFL Draft offensive tackle prospect experiencing a massive rise, bypasses transfer opportunities

With the transfer portal and NIL opportunities at the level they are, the FCS ranks has been pillaged to a degree. Those components have made it easier for bigger schools to pursue the smaller levels and deplete it of talent. While that might make it a smaller talent pool, there are still some very gifted players to know.

One of the more talented FCS players that is firmly on NFL radars is Illinois State offensive tackle Hunter Zambrano. The 6’ 4 ¾”, 306-pound blindside protector has been receiving draftable feedback for his prospects on the next level, citing his nice combination of smoothness, technical prowess, and underlying power. With how desperate college programs can be for talented offensive lineman, it is always interesting to see this type of gifted player fall through the cracks.

Perhaps the most interesting part of Zambrano, he is still relatively new to the game of football. The upside he possesses is substantial. We have not seen close to the best version of Zambrano yet.

“Ninth grade was my first year playing football,” Zambrano told the First Team NFL Draft and College Football Podcast . “I played JV and then sophomore year and junior year kind of got cut short from injury.

“So my senior year was really pretty much my only year playing football,” he continued. “I played all my games, had a really good year, and had a couple of offers extended to me. I took a couple of visits. When I went to Illinois State, it felt like home. I love the coaches, I love the campus and everything.”

When you consider that lack of experience, how Zambrano got to the Redbirds makes a lot more sense. Illinois State doesn’t always attract offensive lineman from South Florida, with NFL upside but they capitalized on a unique situation. They found a late riser whose long-term investment far surpassed the short-term payoff.

Related: The 2025 NFL Draft brings a lot of upside, but a ton of question marks concerning the offensive tackle class

Now skipping ahead five years, Zambrano now enters the 2024 season as one of the best offensive lineman on the FCS level, in the most competitive conference. He has 18 career starts under his belt, which was important for his early development. That baptism by fire allowed him to quickly tap into his underlying upside.

“South Florida high school football in my opinion is the best in the country,” Zambrano explained. “It’s better than California, Texas, and everything. But I didn't really play that much. I pretty much only played my senior year so by the time I got to college, I was still learning the position and everything.

“What helped me the most was, I don't know if you remember a kid named Zeke Vandenberg, but I was going against him during freshman year, which was COVID year and got canceled,” Zambrano added. “Then we played three games in the spring and my first game was a year after against Western Michigan. It was a pretty big adjustment. You’re just getting used to the speed of the game, the competition, how everything changes on a dime, like with the fronts. It’s a pretty hard adjustment.”

That is an adjustment that has obviously paid huge dividends. In terms of FCS prospects for the 2025 NFL Draft class, Zambrano is on the short list of players who could get drafted. Depending on how his final season goes, he also could potentially play himself into being the first one selected next April.

It isn’t much of a surprise that some of those bigger programs have tried to pursue Zambrano. Despite that tampering, the Illinois State star has maintained his allegiance to the program that gave him an opportunity coming out of University High School.

“Sometimes you think about it but in the long run, I would never leave my coaches,” Zambrano responded. “I'd never leave the school that gave me an opportunity because where were all those other bigger schools when I was coming into college? Now they want the finished products. My loyalty can't be bought. So I'm staying where I was. They gave me an opportunity. They helped me get to where I am today, so I'm gonna finish out where I was.

“There’s different situations with people,” he continued. “Some of these schools are offering a lot of money. That’s why it's life changing for some kids and their families. At the end of the day, the grass isn't always greener on the other side. You never know what you're gonna go into. I feel like showing your loyalty to someone who gave you an opportunity is the best thing to do.”

While the grass might look greener on the higher level, having a little better treatment options, some FCS players fall for false hopes. For Zambrano, he has his NFL dreams in front of him. It could, in theory, give him a bigger platform to rise but there are no guarantees. He really is trusting his process, and what has worked most up until this point.

“You never know what can happen if you stay or leave, but there's definitely more opportunities for things to go wrong,” said Zambrano. “That small little pay day is nothing compared to if you do what you have to do, you put your head down, you work really hard, and do what you're supposed to do. If you make the NFL for a couple of years, that small little payday is gonna be absolutely nothing compared to what you're gonna make.”

For hardcore NFL Draft fans, don’t be surprised when Zambrano gets a prestigious NFL Draft All-Star game invitation for his efforts this fall. He is a very promising prospect, whose name will begin circulating more frequently. Knowing his name early will be smart before his 2025 NFL Draft rise officially begins.